Editorial

Foundation repair franchise cements brand awareness with Mr. Happy Crack

What home-repair Franchise has been mentioned by Jay Leno, appears in the lyrics of a rap song by June Bugg Buggin’ and was even a clue in a crossword puzzle in the New York Times? It’s none other than The Crack Team, a foundation repair company with a cheerful block of cement mascot called Mr. Happy Crack.

In a world where a recognizable brand is everything, The Crack Team has made a real name for itself with its cheeky slogan, “A Dry Crack is a Happy Crack,” and consumer favorites like bumper stickers and underwear.

Founded in 1985, the company repairs foundation cracks to prevent water leakage. The Crack Team Franchises its business in areas of the country with poured concrete basements like the central US and states along the east coast.

“There is a real need for quick and reliable repair to concrete foundations,” says Tim Church, franchise director for The Crack Team. “You have to understand that concrete is sand, gravel and water. When it dries, most of the water is removed from the concrete, causing shrinkage. In this curing process, it is not uncommon for cracks to form.

While most of these cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the wall, cracks can be a source of leakage in the basement.”

A technician will go in to a basement and repair the crack using proprietary materials. What’s different about The Crack Team’s TeamFill ® is that it expands throughout the crack and all the way to the soil. It dries quickly and forms a flexible seal inside the crack. The materials are so good that the company is able to provide a lifetime guarantee to the seal. Even if foundation shifting should occur at a later date, the flexible seal will adapt and the crack will not leak. And because TeamSeal ® cures so fast, technicians are able to complete jobs quickly.

“One thing that really sets us apart from our competition,” says Church, “is that we can be in and out of a residence in less than an hour. It is a very efficient use of our employee’s time and therefore we can generate high revenue per employee.”

While The Crack Team has been in business for 20 years, they have been Franchising for only a few years. Church has the experience, however, to transition the company into a full-fledged franchisor, having taken another company from a few to over 70 franchisees recently. “For me,” says Church, “growing the business is exciting. Even more so for The Crack Team because this is a fun group of people.”

Located in St. Louis, Missouri, The Crack Team has developed both a name and a reputation for themselves with their high profile advertising. Featuring Mr. Happy Crack on the back of busses, on company vehicles and even on for-purchase t-shirts and bumper stickers, the whole city is in on the gag and the play on the word “crack.”

Church says their technicians carry business cards with the name “Phil McCracken” to amuse people even further. “We’ve taken a business that could seem mundane and made it have personality,” says Church. “People remember our name and what we do. The name recognition we have (their wearables and gifts have been featured on CNN, The Rolling Stone, US Weekly and The New Yorker) is priceless.”

To be a good fit with The Crack Team, a potential franchisee should be an outgoing, networking person with a management background. “We are looking for people who will start out with an office, a vehicle and a technician,” says Church, “and spend their time getting business cards out to all of the people who need us, the builders, remodelers, real estate people, home inspectors, etc. As soon as we get our name out in a community, we get business, so a technician can be kept busy fairly quickly.”

Because this business requires only a modest investment in equipment and inventory, each technician can generate a large volume of revenue. Employee retention is high, too, because they are paid well and work normal hours .

“Another advantage we have,” adds Church, “is that this is a cash business. When the job is complete, you get paid, either by check or credit card. We just don’t ever end up in an upside-down cash position.”

“For anyone living in an area with poured concrete basements,” says Church, “we have an excellent business model that could help them reach their financial and personal goals. This is an opportunity to claim your territory and get in on a ground floor opportunity, while providing a needed service to your community.”

“We want our franchisees to have a life beyond work. The business will not own the owner,” continues Church. “We believe your weekends should be free and life should be in balance, which is the whole point of being your own boss.”

Training is provided and marketing – everything from direct mail to billboards to bumper stickers – will make your business visible. Look for the smiles on people’s faces as you “crack” them up by driving around in your tricked-out Crack-Mobile!

There is little national competition so the market is wide open to the person who is looking to grow a solid business and enjoy the rewards of business ownership.

“We’re the good guys,” says Church. “We do only the repairs needed and our repairs are permanent. We have an excellent reputation for quality service and fair pricing. But we have fun, too.”